Opinion | Features

Enough with the cooking shows already says media trading director Sam Tedesco. The market saturation is not doing anything positive for the ratings.
Like most members of the Australian TV viewing audience, I love a good cooking show. Right now, though, I need a break from high-pressure personality-driven food formats.

In this opinion piece Kevin Fitzsimons argues SBS documentary Go Back to Where You Came From demonstrates how people will accept ideas more readily when they are shown them.
‘People don’t do conceptual,’ was one of the best pieces of advice I received early on in my marketing career.
It took a while for me to grasp the value of the advice and even longer to apply it.

Australia's biggest supermarket is struggling. Steve Jones spoke to industry experts about how Woolworths' marketing strategy has faltered, and whether the brand can revive its fortunes.
When Woolworths chief executive Grant O’Brien fell on his sword last month after another disappointing set of quarterly figures, it surprised no one.
Without a chief marketer following the abrupt dismissal of Tony Phillips – and with several other high profile executives exiting stage left in recent months – it was just another in a long line of senior level departures at the embattled supermarket.

Media commentators not condemning the booing of AFL star Adam Goodes are effectively condoning bullying argues Adam Ferrier.
I have always admired Adam Goodes. Dual Brownlow medallist, premiership player, Australian of the Year, continued good work for indigenous people. He certainly deserves respect. Don’t know if I like him or not though, never met the guy.
However, Alan Jones commented on the issue recently and said the reason Goodes is getting booed is just that, ‘Because they just don’t like the fellow’.
What a damaging thing to say, and surely it’s not as simple as that?

After recently switching to ING Direct Ian Sizer says the current ad campaign for the online bank is seriously making him consider switching back.
When you get an ad appearing every single ad break it can be irritating. Some ads though go way beyond irritating and become so infuriating it can totally bugger up your evening.
That’s what happened to me last weekend when my viewing was interrupted on a regular basis by the latest offering from ING Direct.

While storytelling has become one of adland's biggest buzzwords Rob Lowe argues marketers are failing to make the necessary emotional connections.
I remember first hearing people talk about ‘storytelling’ a few years ago. I never quite understood it then and I still don’t fully understand the term now.
In fact, like many others, I think it’s overused marketing jazz.

Ahead of the launch of Seven's new reality format Restaurant Revolution tonightAngely Grecia crunches the numbers to see what sort of a buzz the show is creating on Twitter.
The Restaurant Revolution - the new foodie reality TV-show that sees ordinary Aussies designing and running their own pop-up restaurant to win a grand prize of $200,000 - is alive and well on social media.

Despite all the hype the news dinosaurs still dominate the plains of online news in Australia argues The New Daily editorial director Bruce Guthrie in an address to the Rural Press Club.
One way or another, as a journalist and editor, I’ve had a front-row seat at the migration of news from print to online over the past 20 years. And whenever I reflect on that sometimes painful, often clumsy process I am reminded of the joke about the man who walks into a bar with a frog sitting on his head.

In this opinion piece Mumbrella's Alex Hayes argues Lexus' new Heartbeat Car stunt will not raise the pulses of ordinary punters.
I have to admit the new 'world first' Lexus 'Heatbeat Car' leaves me cold.
It comes across as technology for technology's sake - they could have achieved the same results with CGI.

In this guest post, Shabaz Hussain wonders what a posh British drink’s surprise social media win at Wimbledon says about sports sponsorship for brands.
According to a recent Brand Intelligence Report from Amobee the brand most associated with The Championships at Wimbledon in 2015 across social and digital is Pimm’s – a traditional cocktail drink that spectators enjoy at the event.
What makes this more interesting is that fact that they were not an official sponsor of The Championships.

With more than $200m of business in play in Australia due to global pitches. But David Angell asks whether swapping partners will achieve much for these multinationals.
Do you watch soap operas? Of course you don’t, you’re all busy executives with crippling workloads.
But I bet most of you can remember them from younger days.

While some of the figures in the latest RECMA rankings are questionable Nic Christensen argues they still provide an interesting insight on the state of the media industry.
There's something about the RECMA numbers that just does not make sense. But when you ask a bunch of agencies to tell you how much they spend every year you're likely to get some very interesting results.
But despite the inconsistencies they are still the best map of media agencyland, are provide insights around the challenges of staff churn, the rise of programmatic and the broader challenge of falling client spend which are actually quite telling.

The way that blogger and influencer outreach is currently being executed is fast becoming unsustainable, and the industry should be worried argues Louisa Claire
When bloggers began sharing the brands they loved and used in their everyday lives, readers found their endorsement authentic and relatable; it came from someone “just like them”. Research found such backing from “real people” was more successful in swaying purchasing decisions than celebrity endorsements, and marketers opened their eyes to a massive opportunity to leverage bloggers’ voices.
The concept of blogger outreach was born.

Ad board decides Westpac ad used gay stereotype but did not breach rules

A Westpac Bank ad featuring a camp male couple talking about slow payments has been cleared by the Ad Standards Board of complaints that it used gay stereotypes.

One complaint to the ASB said: “The two characters were being portrayed as gay men with horrible stereotypes that inaccurately portray gay people and is both inaccurate and offensive to gay men.”

Westpac defended the ad, claiming it was popular with the gay community.

It said: “Since launch, we have had some resounding positive feedback, with very high preliminary awareness and recognition figures especially from the gay community who have embraced the humour and its intent and congratulated Westpac on our depiction of these characters.”

The ASB ruled that the ad – among the first work for Westpac by its new agency Lavender – did not breach advertising rules. It said: “The Board agreed that the men are represented in part in a stereotypically effeminate manner but they are also represented as business owners. The Board considered that the men are presented in a manner which, although somewhat stereotypical, focuses on their frustration as business owners and is not negative.”

Comments

Advertisers use stereotypes all the time — “women,” “soccer moms,” “pierced/tattooed delivery guys,” “college-educated businessmen,” etc. The only reason Westpac’s ad is getting any attention is because it deals in gay stereotypes.

In stereo type
31 Jan 11
11:52 am

Jeffry,

You’re right mate, everyone does get stereotyped. And to a degree I also think, ‘oh stop whinging, everyone cops it’ – all granny’s aren’t senile pilots of motorised wheelchairs either, but you know, it’s kind of funny and stuff.

I suppose the difference when we’re talking about this distinct minority in the community and they are a minority, is that soccer mums, and tattoo delivery guys are afforded (at least in Australia) all basic human rights as citizen of a democracy.

The continued perpetuation of this stereotype sadly lumps queer men into one big basket that makes it easier for everyone else to sit by and blindly allow our governments to treat them as second class human beings.

And we socially minded left of centre advertising folk passively sit around thinking, “hey man, I don’t care if you’re gay, big whoop. Why even make an issue about it?”

If we ignore the issue, will it go away?

stu
31 Jan 11
12:26 pm

It was lift from the movie “Best in Show” – nothing very original about it.

Cheerage
31 Jan 11
12:38 pm

is that alex perry on the left?

Iggy & The Stooges
31 Jan 11
12:53 pm

Why would a character in a TVC be anything other than… wait for it… a character in a TVC?

One could take it to mean all sorts of things, but one could also take it to be …. wait for it … a TVC.

Of course, the reason these things are supposed to be funny is that if you are not part of the group being portrayed it is funny to laugh at, but if you are in that group, it is potentially offensive. That is how politically incorrect jokes work.

“…the gay community who have embraced the humour and its intent and congratulated Westpac on our depiction of these characters.”

Yeah right. The ad is about as funny as a shark attack and offensive to boot.

Grant Fenton
31 Jan 11
1:20 pm

I can’t imagine why anyone would be offended at this advertisment….other than to say its probably not the best ad I’ve ever seen and is poorly scripted. However, in terms of being stereotypical? I can think of a hundered other more stereotypical scripts that could have been written and in terms of a look; well its about a million miles off Dick Emery’s gay spoofing so I wouldn’t be complaining.
I think it shows a great approach to considering that Gay couples could be portrayed as customers. We know they’re out there so why not show that they live in the real world.

OldSchool
31 Jan 11
1:34 pm

What a crock ! Ongoing use of creepy creative to cloak the greed of the big banks ! What about the tripe being served up by the Commonwealth Bank!? They must think we’ve no recall of “we’ll sack staff and replace them with ATMs and that’ll reduce people’s bank fees” or “there’ll be no reduction in competition in the banking sector if Westpac buy St George” – truly so mauvaise foi – they’re living in their own private Idaho!

Emma Gustafsson
31 Jan 11
1:53 pm

A very very, clever ad. Nice to see ANZ being shown up on banking humor. And no doubt that is Alex perry. wonderful!

Ben
31 Jan 11
2:59 pm

The biggest gay festival in Australia, the Mardi Gras, is essentially a bunch of gays parading down the street dressed in drag/on motorbikes/covered in sequins. Basically it’s a competition to see who can be the biggest gay stereotype, and yet it’s embraced by the gay community.

The bottom line is that this is a very hollow brand strategy from Westpac. This campaign is “executional” at best and “category generic” if you give them any credit at all.

Forget the stereotypes – the real story is the impending agency pitch.

Keef
31 Jan 11
7:46 pm

As a heterosexual male I’ve decided to boycott all ads that portray me as dumb, hapless, useless ’round the home, a bad driver, terrible cook, useless husband/father, can’t read a map, scared of my mother-in-law, can’t fix a washer, can’t read instructions, can’t use the washing machine, can’t use the most basic technology, can’t shop, slight pervert, can’t change a nappy, can’t even distinguish what washing powder is, all while being a slightly chubby and oafish VB drinker. I WOULD boycott those products, however as that’s the advertising industry’s ONLY way of portraying heterosexual males, I’d most likely starve!

curious
31 Jan 11
10:02 pm

can anyone cite examples of gay/lesbian characters in advertising that aren’t stereotypes? note I said characters, not ian thorpe.

Keef
31 Jan 11
10:10 pm

…. oh, and particularly ads that believe i don’t have the slightest knowledge of the female menstrual cycle and female sanitary hygiene products… (Although, in all truth, I do prefer to play a little dumb to all that lot….!)

You should also ban the company that claims that if you don’t fix something round the home yourself, your wife is going to sleep with the handyman. Although it is a hilarious ad.

Dave

Anonymous
1 Feb 11
1:00 am

Sorry, what’s the stereotype? That they’re seamstresses?

Westpac should be applauded for thinking the mighty pink dollar might add value to their bank.

curious
1 Feb 11
7:56 am

why is it that advertising is subject to so many complaints like this, yet movies and tv shows are rife with similar material and they don’t get pulled off air?

feeonar
1 Feb 11
8:44 am

I would be offended as a gay male NOT because I was offended by the concept, but the performers are HORRID and the script shocking.

A crap ad inclusive, or exclusive of homosexual people is still a crap ad.

Alek
1 Feb 11
8:52 am

If we’re so worried about perpetuating stereotypes, why do we tolerate drag queens and flambouyant gay men, and über-butch womyn in our parades? Aren’t we(they) also perpetuating the same negative stereotypes we complain about here? And we all know effeminate gay men, we know “butch” gay men, we know effeminate straight men, and effeminate lesbians. Let’s stop being so sensitive and PC!

Anonymous
1 Feb 11
10:31 am

Curious, rumour has it that these two in the Westpac ad were both pulled off air…by each other.

I wasn’t offended by the gay people, didn’t even cross my mind. I was offened by the mention of the Easter Show – it is so Sydney centric! And the bank wants to make money all over Australia….quietly irritated.

steven
2 Feb 11
7:42 pm

i was offended, mostly by the blatant rip off of Best in Show…

Anthony
23 Feb 11
12:20 pm

I am gay…you silly queens..get a life…It is funny. How different is it to a drag show? We created humour….dont kill it..go and get a good fuck!

Mumbrella is bound by the standards of practice of the Australian Press Council. If you believe the standards may have been breached, you may approach Mumbrella itself or contact the council by email at info@presscouncil.org.au or by phone (02) 9261 1930.For further information see www.presscouncil.org.au